This invention relates to network transactions.
Public computer networks now exist that allow many users to access the resources of the network around the clock. The resources available on a public network, e.g., the Internet, are usually defined as web-pages and accessible through the use of navigational tools, such as search engine programs. It is often the case that a user who attempts to find a specific resource on the network is frustrated in that attempt because of the number of ways that the resource can be defined, or defined to a specific site on the network (e.g., on the Internet, finding a specific item for sale may require searches on several web-sites, each of which may define the same item in a different way). Similarly, an attempt to find a specific user on the network is difficult because a user is not defined by a real name, instead, the user""s actual address on the network may have little, if anything, in common with his or her real name. Furthermore, even when an resource or specific item is found, interaction with the resource or acquiring the item, is cumbersome.
A virtual network is defined as an interconnected group of networks that appear as one large network to a user. Virtual Private Networks (VPN) are private networks that are configured within a public network, such as the internet. VPN architectures provide a xe2x80x9ctunnelxe2x80x9d between various computers by xe2x80x9cauthenticatingxe2x80x9d data transfers between the computers included in the VPN. Virtual networks allow multiple users to interact and to access the resources in the network, i.e., the data files and users of the network. However, the resources on a virtual network are also difficult to find and interact with because all resources on the network may not be accessible to all users, and a particular user may not have the network information necessary to easily search for a resource.
According to an aspect of this invention a method of performing transactions over an electronic network, the method includes defining x-data entries for objects represented in the network the x-data entries including metadata represented as a web-readable document for an object and the x-data entries including a keyword that represents network information or user process information related to the object and associating an object file with an x-data entry that corresponds to the object being represented.
One or more of the following features may also be included: wherein the object file includes a web-page document and including one or more keyword fields for filename, real-name, owner, program, process, public, private, cost, free, content, digital, physical or system and including an HTML tag as part of the metadata and including an XML tag as part of the metadata and using process information to define data stored as a keyword, the process information being derived from a process executed on a computer in the network and including an HREF link to the digital object file as part of the x-data entry and wherein the object file includes a process file which executes when the HREF is selected and providing a script process as part of the x-data entry for an object and wherein the script process includes a process which interacts with the object file, or, a second object file published by an x-data entry and wherein the script process includes a process which interacts with a file not published by an x-data entry and wherein the script process includes a process which uses authentication information to access the object file, or, to access a second object file published in the x-base and searching for an object based on a keyword, displaying a document page according to the metadata and displaying the HREF link and searching for an object based on a keyword, displaying a document page according to the metadata, displaying the HREF link and executing a script which is stored as part of the x-data entry and searching for an object based on a first keyword and purchasing the object through a commerce process, the commerce process using metadata information in the first keyword, or, on metadata information in a second keyword.
According to a further aspect of this invention a method of searching for an object over an electronic network, the method includes receiving a search query that is based on a keyword associated with the object, the object being represented by metadata and including the keyword representing network information or user process information related to the object.
One or more of the following features may also be included: receiving a query that includes one or more keywords for filename, real-name, owner, program, process, public, private, cost, free, content, digital, physical or system and returning to the sender of the query a database entry which includes a web-readable metadata section and returning to the sender of the query an HREF link and returning a script.
According to a further aspect of this invention a method of searching for an object over an electronic network includes sending a search query that is based on a keyword associated with the object, the object being represented by metadata and including the keyword representing network information or user process related to the object.
One or more of the following features may also be included sending a query that includes one or more keywords for filename, real-name, owner, public, private, cost, free, content, digital, physical or system.
According to a further aspect of this invention a computer program product residing on a computer readable medium for performing transactions over an electronic network includes instructions causing a computer to define x-data entries for objects represented in the network each of the x-data entries including metadata represented as a web-readable document for an object and including a keyword representing network information or user process information related to the object and search for one of the objects represented in the network, said search further includes instructions to cause a computer to form a query based on a keyword associated with the one object.
According to a further aspect of this invention a computer program product residing on a computer readable medium for performing transactions over an electronic network includes instructions causing a computer to send a query that is based on a keyword associated with an object, said keyword associated with a x-data entry which includes metadata represented as a web-readable document for the object.
One or more of the following features may also be included: instructions causing a computer to form a search query that includes one or more keywords for filename, real-name, owner, program, process, public, private, cost, free, content, digital, physical or system.
According to a further aspect of this invention a computer program product residing on a computer readable medium for performing transactions over an electronic network includes instructions causing a computer to receive a search query that is based on a keyword associated with an object, the keyword also associated with an x-data entry including metadata represented as a web-readable document for the object and search for the object based on the keyword in a database of published x-data entries.
One or more of the following features may also be included: instructions causing a computer to receive a search query that includes one or more keywords for filename, real-name, owner, public, private, cost, free, content, digital, physical or system and instructions causing a computer to return to the query source an x-data entry which includes a web-readable metadata section.
One or more of the following advantages may be provided by one or more aspects of the invention. Aspects of the invention are directed to a method which allows users, files and other resources on a virtual network to interact with the use of metadata defined objects that contain information related to the network or information related to a user process. The method provides a way to publish any object as an X-Data entry in an extended metabase and allows transactions to occur between defined objects. Each X-Data entry includes an extendible keyword section within both the XML and HTML tag sections allowing any type of object to be defined as an X-data object. The method provides the option of defining a physical item as an object on the network. Once an object is published by an X-Data entry, the object file represented by the entry can be found from the information contained in the entry using web-compatible search and commerce programs. Each X-Data entry may also include script sections which provide interaction with the object.
The details of one or more embodiments of the invention are set forth in the accompanying drawings and the description below. Other features, objects, and advantages of the invention will be apparent from the description and drawings, and from the claims.